After having a feature on the big screen earlier this year, Wes Anderson is already back with a brand new project. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, the project is a short film to premiere on Netflix based on “The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar,” a work by author Roald Dahl.
Henry Sugar will be one of four short films from Anderson based on Dahl’s stories. Each of the four is going to land on Netflix at the end of this month, each one day after another.
Henry Sugar starts on the 27th of September, followed by The Swan on the 28th, The Ratcatcher on the 29th, and concluding with Poison on September 30th.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a rich man who gains the ability to see without using his eyes in hopes of gaining advantages in gambling. As Hollywood Reporter states, Ralph Fiennes stars as Roald Dahl alongside Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Rupert Friend, and Richard Ayoade.
This isn’t the first time Anderson has tackled a story from Dahl. His 2009 film, Fantastic Mr. Fox, was based on Dahl’s 1970 novel of the same name. This time, the film’s script is Anderson’s own, adapting the 1977 short story from Dahl.
Hollywood Reporter critic Leslie Felperin said, “The movie’s brevity (40 minutes) might make for a more digestible snack, so even Anderson-phobes will perhaps find in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar a perfectly well-balanced reduction. It’s got most of Anderson’s signature flavor notes but in healthy, clarified stock.”
Henry Sugar will be on Netflix starting September 27th and even get a limited theatrical release on September 20th. Check out the trailer below.